In late 2019, headlines emerged regarding the sale of Marlon Brando's Rolex. The watch, a Rolex GMT-Master, had been featured in the 1979 classic Apocalypse Now.
The watch is somewhat unique compared to other watches from the same model series, as Brando removed the bezel. Additionally, Brando personally engraved the back case with his name, 'M. Brando.'
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While filming Apocalypse Now, Brando was asked to remove his watch, as it was thought it would take attention away from him. "If they're looking at my watch, then I'm not doing my job as an actor," he said. After some discussions, they agreed that he could wear the watch, but the bezel had to be removed, making the watch more discreet yet unique.
The watch garnered significant attention in 2019 when it was offered for sale by Phillips. Ultimately, the hammer price reached $1,950,000 (£1.55 mil), and the fortunate buyer was the renowned watch collector, Omani businessman Mohammed Zaman.
Four years later, the watch once again made headlines, featuring as one of the top lots in Christie's 'Passion For Time' auction, which included 113 spectacular timepieces, all part of Mohammed Zaman's collection.
Many anticipated that Brando's Rolex GMT-Master would sell for a lower price than in 2019, mainly because the watch market wasn't as fervent as it was back then. Nevertheless, Christie's set a somewhat aggressive estimate at $4.15 to $7.2 million. The final price, including the buyer's premium, ultimately reached a total of $5.08 million (£4.06 mil).
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It's fair to say that the watch was an excellent investment, yielding a profit of $3.1 million, equating to a return of nearly $1 million per year.